VEGETABLE CULTIVATION DURING QUEEN VICTORIA'S REIGN. 3G9 



that gome of the Peas were served the same evening at the Royal 

 dinner table. 



During recent years the list of good Peas has also been added 

 to by such excellent varieties as Daisy, Veitch's Maincrop, 

 Alderman, Laxton's Gradus, and many others. 



It may be as well to remark here that the improvement of 

 Peas, as well as other vegetables, has doubtless received con- 

 siderable impetus from the keen competition upon the Exhibition 

 table — a hobby in which our older gardening friends seldom 

 if ever indulged. This competition has likewise had a very 

 marked effect upon the cultivation of Peas and other vegetables, 

 so that with the fine types now procurable and the improved 

 systems adopted by growers results are obtained which are really 

 marvellous. 



Before leaving this section reference must be made to the 

 careful work done in the Chiswick Gardens in making trials of 

 Peas for many years past. The value of these trials, great as it 

 is, would be considerably enhanced had circumstances rendered 

 it possible to grow a larger number of older varieties alongside 

 the new ones for the sake of comparison. I may mention that 

 in order to make our Reading Pea trials comprehensive enough 

 to determine the value of new seedlings, and to fully test the 

 older varieties offered, &c, it is necessary to sow from 600 to 700 

 rows annually. 



Broad Beans. 



In the early days of the Queen's reign lovers of this vegetable 

 were relatively better off than those who preferred Peas, for 

 there already existed such varieties as Mazagan, Dwarf Fan, 

 Early Longpod, and the White and Green Windsors. These 

 have, of course, been greatly improved upon ; but they all remain 

 in use, though it is somewhat surprising that the Mazagan should 

 be grown at the present time, as in every respect it is surpassed 

 by other greatly superior types. 



The fact, however, that Beans in use sixty years ago are still 

 grown seems to show that the advance has been less rapid than 

 in the case of many other vegetables. The improvement that 

 has been made is almost entirely the result of selection, although 

 the crossing of Seville Longpod and White Windsor has produced 

 a variety sent out by my house as Giant Windsor, which, as its 



